


Oblivious Genius

by impish_nature



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Gen, Light-Hearted, humour hopefully, just some swears that's about it for the rating, oblivious ford is oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-12 15:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7939531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impish_nature/pseuds/impish_nature
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mystery Trio! Stan goes to drag Ford out of the bunker and accidentally finds himself on a mini adventure of his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oblivious Genius

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Just something silly and lighthearted honest! I mean it could have been an angsty one…but I wanted it to follow the real life event that it’s based on more. (Shout out to @fan-art-ic for making me realise that would make a fun fic)

“Ford?”

Stan stomped down the stairs, a questioning and exasperated lilt to his voice as he grimaced at the bad taste of the whole place he had the misfortune of entering to find his ever busy twin. _Honestly_ , an underground bunker? Hidden in the middle of the forest?

No wonder the townspeople whispered about his brother being a mad scientist. And they didn’t even know this place existed, him and that Fiddlenerd had somehow constructed it all by themselves. There’d probably be pitchforks and an angry mob if the town found out – Stan’s charm and silver tongue no match for the wrath and panic the presence of a giant underground science lab buried on their doorstep would cause.

Stan shook his head, Ford always just rolled his eyes at the stories Stan came back with from his frequent joints to the diner. Scoffed at the tales of horror that were hissed about him, even as he wrote down every word Stan gleaned about other superstitious legends from the locals that Stan himself thought were so tacky they couldn’t really be true.

“Ford!” Stan shouted as he got halfway down, already irritated by the silence. He knew Ford was down here. He hadn’t seen daylight or come home for food in the past three days. It was high time he got some vitamin D, a good meal that didn’t include whatever emergency ‘food’ he kept down here and a long rest. Getting his brother to do that willingly and without prompting was another thing entirely, however. “For crying out loud- _FORD_!”

“Yes?!”

The squeak that answered him made him huff exasperatedly. “Ford, you’ve been down here for over 72 hours.” His feet hit the bottom of the steps with a solid thump and he glanced through the glass of the doorway, trying not to let his eyes roll as his brother sheepishly rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and looked down at his scribbled notes.

“Ri-right, right, of course you’d come looking for me.” The words were muttered, Stan wasn’t even sure they were meant for him. His brother looked exhausted, frazzled by whatever he was working on, but he also had that spark of unwavering energy to him that made Stan sigh and shake his head.

He’d had a breakthrough in whatever he was doing.

And if Stan wasn’t careful, he’d run himself into the ground before he realised that he was only human and the breakthrough would be sitting waiting for him when he got back.

“Stan, I’m almost done! I’ll be up in…an hour! Tops-”

“Oh no, Poindexter. I’ve heard that one, one too many times.” Stan snapped, crossing his arms. Ford still wasn’t looking at him, head bent over the journal as he contemplated Stan’s words. “When was the last time you slept? Or ate? And don’t say coffee.” Ford’s open mouth closed with a snap. “Don’t make me come in there and drag you out.”

“Alright, alright.” Ford shouted back, slamming the book shut with enough force to make the table shake. He started to grumble, low and annoyed. “God damn, knucklehead, always-”

“I can hear you, you know.” Stan couldn’t stop the sing-song note of childish banter whistling its way through his words.

“Always looking out for me.” Ford shouted louder, Stan could hear the exasperated smile behind it that made him grin brightly in response.

“That’s more like it.” He chuckled, wandering slightly. He knew how long Ford would take to get ready and he knew going into the office section and rushing him would only make things go slower or make him forget something he’d deem important enough to trek all the way back for. So he took a few moments to wander down the glass entryway, eyes ghosting over the few cryptids that Ford had brought back with him to study in the last few weeks. They were mostly harmless, a bit annoyed at being stuck down here but Ford didn’t normally keep them there for long. He waved at a small creature that glanced up at him in curiosity before scurrying closer to the glass to get a better look at him. He grinned, crouching down to take a closer look himself, mirroring the little ones movements as they stared at one another in unabashed intrigue. His hand pressed up against the glass to steady himself, a bright beam spreading as it moved over to try and sniff him through the glass. “Well, aren’t you a cute one.”

“Alright Stan, I’m coming!”

Stan jumped slightly, hands wind milling to stop him falling backwards, at the abrupt shout as the bundle of nerves that was his sleep deprived brother bounded out of the office and without a second glance darted up the stairs. He scoffed, glancing back at the now startled fluffy creature which had taken a few wary steps back, eyes glued to the staircase that Ford had vanished up. “Yeah, I don’t know what’s gotten into him either. But don’t worry, he’s just skittish like you.” He cooed, standing up and brushing himself off. He followed at a slower pace, yawning as he went. These stairs were a nightmare, why did they have to install so many stairs? He shook his head exasperatedly. Wasn’t it a long enough walk into the woods anyway? Were the nerds trying to build up more stamina? Was that it?

He chuckled to himself at the thought of Fiddleford with muscle before he heard a soft grating noise. He frowned, taking the last few steps two at a time and saw that the door was closed already. He grit his teeth, a spark of anger whizzing through him at the smug expression he could imagine on the other side of the metal. “Oh, what’s this? Are you that annoyed at me for stopping your research? Felt like a little prank was in order, eh? Didn’t think you’d be up for it, what with how tired you looked, nerd.” Stan scoffed, slamming his fist against the door, where it clanged with an echoing ring.

He crossed his arms, waiting for a moment for Ford to open up the door and smirk at him. He could already hear some silly nonsensical smart Alek remark slipping out of him that he probably wouldn’t get but in reality silence reigned instead. He uncrossed his arms with an annoyed groan, eyes trailing the wall for the safety latch and its coded keyboard. A password protected safety latch might not seem the brightest move in an emergency but considering what they kept down here, Stan could see the reasoning behind making sure some of them couldn’t go for a wander on their own into town.

He found the small button with wandering hands in the gloom of the slowly dimming overhead lights, depressing it quickly so that the bright glow of the screen flickered on with a whir and the small telescopic keyboard opened outwards. He quickly went through the code, glad for once that Ford hadn’t let him leave a conversation until he’d learnt something and stored it away for future use.

A small metallic buzz and a bright red light met his entry.

_[Password Denied]_

“Wait. What?!” Stan glared at the accusatory words. He was sure he’d gotten the password right. He went to retype it when a new message popped up before him.

_[Error: Deadbolt sealed]_

Stan growled, head thumping against the wall before him. Obviously Ford was waiting outside laughing at him! He could see him, arms wrapped around his stomach, hearing him curse and grumble at him through the door. There were two locks in the system, he remembered Ford going through them repeatedly. The first lock was the one that the password unlocked. This meant that the door could be locked so no one but them could get in and out. The second lock was the deadbolt, to be used in an emergency - if there was a creature on the rampage that they had to make sure stayed inside, that kind of thing.

Only, Ford was always nervous that someone would find out the password to his bunker and steal his life’s works.

So he had a habit once everyone had left for the night to lock up with the deadbolt too, emergency or not.

“Haha, very funny, Ford. Look just because _you_ like to stay down here for days at a time doesn’t mean _I_ do!” He slammed his hand a few more times against the door, the sound reverberating down the stairs and back to him in a cacophony on metal clatters.

He paused for a few moments, panting wildly.

Silence took over from the echoes within seconds.

“C-come on, Ford. Enough of this now. I get it. You wanna teach me a lesson or something about disturbing you. Just a harmless prank, haha, ok you got me- I won’t do it again. Now can you open the door already?”

Nothing.

It took a few more seconds for the truth to finally sink in and Stan’s eyes widened as his mouth opened and closed in shock.

“He’s actually- no way. He can’t be that- no, he has! The idiot’s locked me in here and he doesn’t even know it!”

Stan rubbed a hand down his face, other hand to his hip as he glanced down the steps and back to the door again.

“Well, now what?”

He hummed thoughtfully to himself. He’d been in some tight spots before, he was sure he could think of something. He grinned at himself, thoughts already winging away. If he thought of this as a game - a test of Ford’s security measures and a competition, he could crush the horrible sinking feeling of being locked in here and how long it might take for Ford to realise.

His mouth drooped at the thought, heart thudding a touch quicker.

_Ford hadn’t even noticed._

His movements faltered, before his eyes went hard and sharp, eyebrows furrowing low.

_Stop that. Don’t get sad. Get angry._

“God damn idiotic genius.” The words slipped out, unbidden venting as he yet again found himself stomping down the steps, shoulders up around his ears as he pushed his hands into his pockets. “My oh so smart brother, doesn’t even realise the guy who came to help him isn’t with him. Oh no- of course after all that prodding I’d just leave him to his own devices and not actually make sure he got home- sounds logical!”

The grumbling continued, reverberating off the stone as he walked through the office, snatched a key off the side and went into the caves themselves where Ford kept the creatures he came across. As far as he knew they were all small and cute this time round, at least he hoped that was the case as he locked the door back up behind him and decided getting out was the more pressing matter at that moment.

“I’m surprised the Poindexter actually did go home without me there to make sure. For once it would have been a hell of a lot easier if he’d been predictable and tried to sneak back to work.” He huffed, a snort of irony escaping as he stopped his clattering footsteps. The image was particularly amusing, one where Ford took a quick look round, noted Stan was gone and tried to come back in, only to find his irritated and locked in brother tapping his foot and ready to berate him. But instead, it seemed that for once the thought of Stan thunderously returning to get him again had more concerning than the revolutionary work he was missing out on by being made to rest. “What? Actually scared about worrying me for once? Oh, Sixer, you do think about things other than science once in a while!” That or Ford had wobbled when he’d stood up and actually realised how much he hadn’t eaten or slept in the last few days.

Stan frowned as that image popped up unbidden.

He really did need to get out of here and check up on the nerd.

He gave a sigh as he took another look around. So far so good on the animal front, all of them scuttling away from his heavy footed gait. He winced at the small little fluff ball from earlier staring at him from across the room, eyes wide and wary. Maybe he wasn’t doing so well staying calm. He took a deep breath, clearing his head as he continued to walk off, heart panging guiltily as he ignored the creature he really wanted to reassure.

He’d find out what the little thing was for next time, bring it a treat or something.

For now though, he really didn’t need to make amends right this second and have a host of little critters following him and figuring out how to leave too.

_It’s a test. A test, remember? Let’s see how quickly you can get out of here._

Stan grinned, teeth showing at the mantra ringing through his head as he sped up, checking behind him once or twice to make sure he was alone before pacing deeper into the cave system. Luckily for him, Ford had built his little bunker in a natural cave, he was sure somewhere along the line there’d have to be another exit.

He squashed the little thought that said Ford would have thought of that and sealed it all up already.

No use in crushing his little bit of hope before it even started.

_Come on Stan, let’s do this! What will Ford say when you get out of here?  
Well hopefully apologise- Oh you should milk this!_

Stan’s eyes lit up at the thought, mischief twinkling as his smile widened.

Ford was never going to hear the end of this.

He blinked as a small breeze hit him from one of the tunnels and he hastened after it, fist pumping at the slim line of light he could just about see through a large rock that had been painstakingly pushed in front of the exit.

He gave it a small push, cringing at the weight of it.

“If this was your idea Ford, you definitely didn’t do it alone.” Stan looked around before finding the best part of the wall to prop himself again and put his foot against the rock with gritted teeth, talking to himself all the while he pushed. “But. Just because it took- Jesus- took the pair of you nerds, doesn’t mean I can’t-” The rock shifted, his smile came back, though marred by still gritted teeth. “Doesn’t mean I can’t do it all on my _own_.”

The rock finally rolled enough to give him the space he needed to squeeze out. He panted, shaking his legs on the other side as he contemplated the rock and tried to knock it back into place. He shrugged when he couldn’t get it to cover entirely, he’d do it from the other side once he was back in there next. It was Ford’s fault not his that he’d had to do that, it could wait.

With one last look and another shake of his head, he made a slow tired walk back to the Shack.

“At least I know a way out of there if it happens again.”

His sigh of annoyance turned quickly into a hum of victory.

“Guess your security sucks, Ford, that was easy.”

* * *

“You in here, nerd?”

“Stan?” Ford glanced up from his book, having curled up on the sofa in response to no one being around to make him eat or sleep. He had so much to do, he’d take every moment he could.

He had taken the time to brew himself a good cup of coffee though, the coffee they had down in the bunker wasn’t the best.

Stan stayed quiet, he couldn’t help being bemused in hindsight but he tried to hold on to the exasperated irritation. “Yep, that’s me. Did you miss me?”

“I was just wondering where you were. After all that, I assumed you’d be fussing like last time.”

Stan scowled at the exasperation flowing through Ford’s voice. He walked into the room with his arms crossed, his anger instantly igniting again. “Well maybe I would have been if my _genius_ of a brother hadn’t locked me in the bunker.”

“Locked you…you weren’t in the bunker.” Ford blinked at him owlishly. Stan didn’t know whether to laugh or shake him. “I would have seen you.”

“Yeah well you made quite a show of pegging it up the steps. Did I spook you?” Stan’s foot started to tap against the floor, unable to keep still as he waited for an answer.

Ford frowned, head tilting at the show. “Well, it was all alright, right?” He picked his book back up, flipping to the next page. “You just used the safety latch, right? Good to know the emergency password works.” He glanced back up, eyes amused. “Though it took you awhile, did you forget the password? Is that why you’re so annoyed?”

Stan fumed, taking the book from him before looking over at the clock as he slammed it shut, viciously satisfied by the ‘ _Stan_!’ he got in response. “I made good time, actually, considering you’d double locked the door before I got up there.” He snarled as Ford’s face went pale, finally getting the hint.

He deflated slowly as an awkward silence reigned and the flash of horror swept across Ford’s face as well. Doubt and worry crept in, worming insidiously into Stan’s chest at the expression. “You honestly didn’t think it was odd that I wasn’t waiting for you at the top of the steps?”

“I thought…I thought you’d come back and made dinner?” Ford tried not to take a step back as Stan visibly twitched, a flash of fire behind his eyes.

“When would you have noticed, hey?!”

Ford opened and closed his mouth, his brain going into overdrive as the caffeine hit.

Sudden images of all the things that could have happened raced through his head. He was sure those small pink furry creatures he’d found to research were actually venomous. Not to mention some of the creatures in stasis…Ford shuddered at the thought of one of them getting out, or Stan accidentally letting one out.

How long _would_ it have taken him to notice? What _could_ have happened in the mean time?

Guilt pooled deep as Stan stopped glaring at him. He knew that look, it was the one that said ‘finally, he gets it’ and Ford was sure he deserved it this time. He stood up with the realisations, arms awkwardly shifting in front of him as if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to grab Stan’s shoulders or turn him round, eyes scanning him for injuries as he stood there.

He might get a bit carried away with work and injure himself but putting Stan or Fiddleford at risk was where he drew the line- even if Stan made the habit of jumping into protect him when they went out on monster hunts.

“Stan- oh god, I’m so sor-” Ford paused in his apology, eyebrows frowning as the guilt vanished from his face to morph into pure interest.

Obviously something else had caught his attention during that lecture.

Stan wasn’t sure he liked that look.

“Wait, how did you get out?”

Stan was right, he really didn’t like that look.

“Unbelievable! You can’t even apologise!”

“No, I am sorry, Stan, honestly. But how on earth did you get out, I can’t have anyone getting in there- Stan? Stan, no wait! Don’t turn away from me!”

“Unbe-fucking-lievable.” Stan threw his hands in the air, storming up the stairs to his bedroom.

His brother really had to sort out his priorities.

* * *

-Bonus-

* * *

“I can’t believe you did it _again_.”

Ford winced at the good natured voice, head down and fingers fiddling together as he stood there. The voice wasn’t even angry, it was just filled with bemused humour and disbelief.

He couldn’t blame his brother’s befuddlement, after everything they had been through.

He hadn’t let Stan out of his sight for a few weeks and yet still…

This time he really _really_ was sorry- there were no questions he felt the need to ask, just a deep seated guilt at having yet again managed to lock his brother in the bunker.

Not only that, but his brother had been coming to check on him.

… _Again_.

Weeks of keeping Stan within eyesight at all times while his memories returned slowly and then the day before they were meant to be out at sea together he had accidentally locked him in the bunker.

That and he had wandered round the house afterwards before shrugging and thinking Stan must have had something important to do and forgot to mention it when he shouted down to him to finish up already.

That was until Stan appeared, dusting himself off and giving him a put out look that made the dots connect all at once into a sudden sinking feeling and his mind go _Oh no- I didn’t- I can’t have- Not again-._

He would like to point out that it had been 40 years since the first time.

But he bit his tongue.

That wouldn’t win him any points right now.

“Honestly, I thought you’d be more observant now. Here I was, coming down to make sure you hadn’t found anything untoward- I mean you were the one that told me ‘no, no, I’ll go on my own, I don’t know what’s down there anymore. I’ll clear it all out and seal it up so no one gets hurt while we’re gone’. And then you vanished like you always used to for half a day and I thought ‘I know, I should go check up on him’-”

“Stan, please-”

“No, no, I’m going to finish. I come down to check up on you and you guiltily shoot up and run for the door and I get this sinking de ja vu feeling. I mean, it can’t possibly be happening _again_ , can it? But it did.” Stan raised an eyebrow at him, smile threatening to show through. “Still an oblivious genius, hey, Sixer?”

“I- I can’t argue with that, can I?”

“Nope.” Stan popped the word with a wide grin, watching Ford shift uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn’t going to lie, this was kind of what he’d wanted all those years ago- a chance to tease his brother mercilessly. “So…can I trust you when we’re at sea together or will I have to be extra loud for you to know I’m there?’

“Stan, I swear this won’t happen aga-“

“I mean-” Stan’s voice overrode him, his point being made as he spoke. “I _thought_ I was loud already but then you know…you somehow _didn’t_ realise that I was stood right behind you when I said I was leaving without you for adventures if you didn’t get back up into the sunlight soon.”

“I-I thought-”

“Thought what, Sixer? That my voice carried from the top of your giant staircase?” Stan blinked at Ford’s mortified expression, the puzzle pieces falling that yes, that’s exactly what Ford had thought. He groaned, rubbing a hand down his face as he laughed.

“I’m sorry. God, Stan, I’m _so sorry_.”

Stan shook his head at the squeak. He raised a hand, standing up straight as Ford jumped to his side, obviously worried he’d been shaking and panicking instead of laughing. He punched his twin’s shoulder, laugh booming out as he threw his arm around him and continued to shake his head.

“Unbelievable, you always were unbelievable.”

He pushed him away again, catching the relief in Ford’s face before he stretched and rubbed at his bad back.

“But seriously, I’m too old to be finding secret passages, Ford. Do you know how long it took to get out of that maze of yours this time?”

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Shout out @garrulousgibberish for the bonus thought XD We were laughing at the thought of grunkle version and I managed to work out how to do both haha!
> 
> And if anyone is wondering -
> 
> I got locked in the workshop. The safety latch didn’t work like it should and I had to figure out another way out.
> 
> The best part? I got locked in by my dad.
> 
> Who had absolutely no idea.


End file.
